Don’t Practice Your Orchestra Part – Prepare It!

By Anne Sullivan

I learned to play in orchestra very early in my harp journey. My teacher was Marilyn Costello, principal harpist of the Philadelphia Orchestra, so obviously she was an expert at orchestral playing and prepared me very thoroughly for the parts I needed to play.

What I learned and share with my own students now is that the most important skill you need for orchestra playing is listening: listening to recordings, listening to the other parts as you play in the orchestra and listening to how your part fits in. In our 21st century world, listening to recordings is easy and it’s a great way to prepare. Passive listening isn’t enough, though. You need to be an active listener. I encourage my students to use recordings in three different ways.

1. Listen and follow along. This technique is especially valuable when you first get the music, before you even begin to practice the part. Sit with your part and a pencil and try to follow along as you listen to the recording. Try to find the cues that will help you know where you are in the piece. Count along as you listen. You can use several different recordings to get an idea of the tempo of the parts of the piece that you play.
2. Air play. As you begin to practice the part, it is helpful to listen to the recording and play the “air harp” as you listen. As you listen to the piece, carefully count your measures of rest and then mimic playing when it is your turn. The wonderful benefit about “air playing” is that you won’t play any wrong notes or push any wrong pedals. You can concentrate fully on listening to the music as you play your part.
3. Play along. This is your dress rehearsal for your orchestra rehearsal. Play your part on the harp as you listen to the recording.. If you can play along with the recording, you are completely prepared to play successfully with the orchestra.

One closing thought: remember to enjoy the experience. So few people will ever have the opportunity to sit engulfed in the amazing sound and the intense energy of a symphony orchestra at work. But you have that opportunity. Don’t forget to treasure it.